Fruit juice extractor with reciprocating and rotating fruit holders



Feb. 6, 1951 c. M. WOODRUFF FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR WITH RECIPROCATING AND ROTATING FRUIT HOLDERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1947 'z/asre'pMfi/oaawn INVENTOR.

BY w

w-rawar Feb. 6, 1951 c. M. WOODRUFF 2,540,772

FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR WITH RECIPROCATING AND ROTATING FRUIT HOLDERS Filed March 25, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F v W 7 IQ T Zn i4 m a w 1 5 I p w 6 p, I a \\\V\ 1 8 9 m I I I I I." ,1, 3 a d M w. M H a I I... HWWIL" m f 9 I Feb. 6, 1951 2,540,772

C. M. WOODRUF FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR WITH RECIPROCATING AND ROTATING FRUIT HOLDERS Filed March 25, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

3-7 5 C ssreeM Rhona/r;

Feb. 6, 1951 c. M. WOODRUFF 2,540,772

FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR WITH RECIPROCATING AND ROTATING FRUIT HOLDERS Filed March 25, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 II. R o w v\ 2% m 1: IHW I m m E .7 s a w\\\\\\\\\\\\ A I? m. & 1 Z, I. I I] I UIVEQI .Q ?Z,,,,, P w I Q 3 k w. UK m I Feb. 6, 1951 c. M. WOODRUFF 2,540,772

FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR WITH RECIPROCATING AND ROTATING FRUIT HOLDERS Filed March 25, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 M ga Z wesmm M00427;

INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 6, 1951 FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTOR WITH RECIPRO- CA'IING AND ROTATING FRUIT HOLDERS Chester M. Woodman, Los Angeles, Galit, assignor to Woodruff Associates, lites Angeles, Calif., a

partnership Application March 25, 1947, Serial No. 736,993

Claims.

The invention relates to a. machine for cutting fruit such as oranges, in half with means for extracting the juice from bothhalves and means for ejecting the rinds.

While ithas been proposed heretofore to provide an automatic machine for the above purposes, the present machine has the novel feature of cutting the fruit in half, extracting the juice from both halves, and ejecting the rinds, all at the same locus in. the machine. This is made possible, by arranging a carrier preferably in the form of a disk or wheel, with a bucket, a cutting blade, a squeeze head, and an ejecting abutment; all arranged. on the carrier, in combination with fruit holders which reciprocate and rotate one. fixed axis. Theholders take the fruit from thebucket and rotate the fruit in the path of the cutting blade, the holders also being reciprocated in timed relation with the movement of the carrier, to effect the squeezing and ejecting operations. In other words, the bucket and various tools on the carrier are sequentially brought into operative relation with the fruit holders.

An object of the invention is to cut the fruit in half and squeeze both halves at the same locus, and preferably also to eject the rinds at that IOCUS'.

Anotherobject is to provide a fully automatic machine having a hopper or magazine to hold a quantity of oranges, with provisions for automatically stopping the machine if either the juice container is loaded with juice or it the magazine is empty, while insuring that the machine will only stop when the carrier is in such a position that it has cut, squeezed, and ejected a. particular fruit and is therefore empty of cut fruit and in a position to operate on the next fruit when the magazine is again loaded and the machine started into operation.

Another object is to provide an improved means for cutting the fruit, in half. This is accomplishedby rotating the fruit holders on a fixed .axis: while advancing the cutting blade against a fruit in the holders.

Another; object is to provide an improved means for squeezing the fruit halves. This is accomplished by separating the fruit holders with a half-fruit in each holder to admit a squeeze-head therebetween and by rotating the fruit holders while advancing the fruit against the squeezehead.

Another object isto provide an improved means for ejecting the rinds. This is accomplished by rotating'thefruit holders with their rinds, while advancing. an abutment against the rinds.

A further; feature of the invention relates to an improved means for transferring the fruit one at a time from the magazine to the carrier.

The invention further resides in various features,taken singly or in combination as described hereafter and more particularly set forth in the claims.

For further details of, the invention, reference may be made to the drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of a fruit juice extractor according to the present invenwith the hopper broken away.

Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive are sectional views on lines of the corresponding numbers in Fig. 1,

looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views on lines. of the corresponding numbers in Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figs. 4 to 8 are enlarged views.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the carrier.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the chute. and dipper for transferring the fruit one ata time from the magazine to the carrier.

Fig. 1 1, is an enlarged developed view of a cam for reciprocating the fruit holders.

Fig. 12 is a schematic circuit diagram for starting and stopping the motor.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the fruit juice extractor i, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, at the top thereof has a hopper 2 for receiving a quantity of oranges or the like which drop by gravity through the opening 3 into a chute 4, see Figs. 2 and 10. A suitable rotary valve 5 is operated as later described to feed fruit one at a time from the hopper to the chute 4. Valve 5 makes one revolution for each revolution of wheel 22 and is driven by shaft H 5, see Fig. 1 having pulley lit and belt H1. Belt H! is driven by pulley i it, see 6. Pulley H8, gear 16 and Maltese cross 3! are suitably fixed together and rotate in unison. The fruit drops one at a time into the chute i and passes underneath an upper arm 5 which is fixed at its rear end to an axle I pivotally supported in risers 8 on the main frame 9. Fixed to one end of the axle l is an eccentric block It, adjusted in position by set screw l i, and which operates a switch l2. Switch i2, as shown in Fig. 12, and as further described later, is in the circuit of a motor i 3 which drives the machine. Switch I2 is maintained closedas long as there is fruit in the chuteA. When chute 4 is empty, the arm t-drops by gravity to open switch l2.

Atthe outer end ofchute 4 andiorming anex tension of it, is a dipper l3 which has an axle l5 carried by bearings l6, H, see Fig. 1, in the frame members l8, it. The outer end of dipper i4 is provided with a central longitudinal recess 25, see Fig. 10, to permit the blade 2| on the disc wheel 22-to pass through it. The bottom of the outer end of dipper M is curved upwardly as indicated at 23 in Figs. 2 and 10, to prevent the fruit from dropping out of the dipper when it is in the position shown in Fig. 2 wherein the dipper I4 is maintained in the inclined position shown by a roller 24 on the dipper riding on the wheel periphery 25. The roller 25 is held on the periphery of the wheel 22 by means of a tension spring 26 which is fastened at one end to the chute as indicated at 21 and fastened at its other end to an arm 28 on the bridle 29 which is pivoted in the side walls of chute 4 as indicated at H9.

" FromFig. 2 it is apparent that the blade 2| is on the lagging portion of wheel 22 relatively to the bucket 34 which is on a leading portion of the wheel;

The wire bridle 29 serves as a guard and drops in front of the chute 4 when the dipper l4 drops, guard 29 holding back the remaining fruit in the chute, with one fruit at the front of the guard 29 in the dipper M. The wheel 22 operates the dipper M which moves bridle 29 to operate a switch 33 in circuit with the motor l3 as shown in Fig. 12. Switch 33 is closed when bridle 29 is raised by dipper Hi to its upper position as shown in Figs. 2 and 11. Switch 30 is opened when the bridle 29 and dipper l4 tilt down; The tilt of dipper M is limited by the hook l Hi, see Fig. 10, striking the straight portion |22 at each side of the bridle 29.

The carrier is here illustrated as the wheel 22, in the form of a disk having the cutting blade 21!. The wheel is rotated in a counterclockwise direction by the motor E3, the rotation being stepby step under control of the Maltese cross drive 3|, shown in Fig. 4. The wheel 22 has a cut-away portion 32 into which the dipper M is. adapted to descend after the leading edge 33 of the cut-away portion 32 passes beyond the roller 23, to deposit the fruit in the dipper M into the open ended bucket 33, see Fig. 9, on the leading edge of the cut-away portion 32.

The companion fruit holders 35 and 36, see Fig. l, rotate and reciprocate on a fixed axis 3! and they are advanced towards each other or spread apart under control of a cam 38 which is driven by motor l3 to operate the fruit holders 35, 35, in timed relation with the step by step rotation of wheel 22. Diametrically opposite'the center of bucket 34, on the wheel 22, is a double squeeze-head or reamer 39. Also projecting on opposite sides of the wheel 22 and secured thereto by bolts like ifl or otherwise is an ejector flange 4|.

- The wheel 22 pauses each half revolution, one of its stationary positions being shown in Fig. 2

wherein the bucket 33 contains a fruit received,

from the dipper M. The index roller 32, see Fig. 1, which reciprocates the fruit holders 35, 33 then being in a straight portion 43 of the cam groove, see Fig. 11, to maintain the fruit holders 35 and 36 apart to permit the fruit holders and the fruit to be brought between them to the position shown in Fig. 2. The inclined portion 4 of the cam groove causes the holders 36 to advance through the opposite ends of the bucket 35 to grasp the fruit and hold it Whereupon the wheel 22 rotates to cut the fruit 7 gear M which drives pinion 48.

fruit grasping position half by blade 2|. Thereafter l in half by the blade 2|, the holders 35 and 33 being constantly rotated by the motor l3.

As shown in Fig. 3, motor l3 has a suitable reducing gear which terminates in a pinion 45 which meshes with an idler gear 36 to drive spur Pinion 4B is secured to and rotates a shaft l5 which drives belt 55 to rotate holder 35 and belt 5| to rotate holder 36. The index roller 42 is arranged on an intermediate portion of a leverarm 52 which carries at its outer end a fork 53, see Fig. l, which operates in a collar 54 to reciprocate the holder 35. The holder 35 is on a spline shaft 55 rotated by belt 50. Lever 52 pivots about the center 55 and has lever extension 51 which operates through link 58, bell crank lever 59, link 53, bell crank 6|, link 62, bell crank 63, to move the holders 35 and 36 toward or away from each other, or maintain them together or apart under control of the index roller 42. i i

Referring to Fig. 7, the wheel 22 is mounted on and connected to a shaft 64, by a sleeve on one side of the wheel and connected to shaft 64 by a pin 55, with a sleeve 61 on the other side of the wheel. The wheel 22 is clamped between the sleeves 65 and 61 by a bolt 68, and the sleeves 55 and Bl are locked to the wheel by pins like 59. An outboard bearing 10 in the frame l8 0f the machine is provided for an intermediate portion of the shaft 64. Lengthwise movementgof shaft es to the right is prevented by a stop'collar 7|. Leakage of fruit juice into bearing 10 is prevented by a felt seal 12. A similar seal, as indicated at 13 in Fig. 8, is provided for each of the fruit holders 35, 36. The left end 1 of shaft 54 is provided with a bearing 14 supported by the frame 3. Fixed to the shaft 64 is a spur gear 15 which is driven by gear :16 as shown in Fig. 3. Gear 16 carries the driver member of a Geneva movement such as the Maltese cross 3| which has four radial slots like ll in Fig. 4, arranged 90 degrees apart. The cross 3| is operated by the pins 13 and 19' arranged on arms and 8| respectively, the latter projecting from a hub '82, see Fig. '7, which is fixed to gear ll and earn 38'by bolts like 83.

Gear 41 and its attachments just described are rotatably carried by the shaft 64, whereby gear M and its attachments can operate at constant speed, being driven by pinion 45 and gear 46,

whereas shaft 64 and its wheel 22 is operated step by step by the Maltese cross 3| and pins HS-and 13. Gear 16 drives gear 15 and shaft 54 at twice the speed and double the angle of its own movement as the gear ratio is 2 to 1. The cross 3| is driven a quarter of a turn by each of the pins '38 and 19, and hence gear the position shown in Fig. 2, the fruit holders being brought into an engagement with opposite sides of the fruit under control of the inclined portion 44 of the cam groove as shown in Fig. 11. The fruit holders 35, 35 are left in their by the straight portion of the cam groove. while the fruit is cut in the inclined groov portion 85 operates on the index roller 42 t 15 and shaft 64 are driven one-half revolution for each quarter and into asuitablecontainer separate. the. fruit holders and they are. maintained separated by. the. straight groove portion alrtopermit, the reamer. 39 to be brought into a position 180 degreesfrom that shown in Fig. 2. The inclined cam groove 88 then causes the fruit holders tobe brought together to urge the fruit halves against the reamer 39, the fruit holders. rotating at this time and being maintained. in reaming position by the straight groove portion 89. Then the fruit holders are separated by the inclined. portion 90 and the ejector 4i contacts. the. rotating hulls. to push them out of their holders. The hulls drop on a screen 9! 92. inthe base of the. machine, while the juice; extracted passes throughthe screen 9! and. chute ISfiinto a container. 93. The fruit holders 35, 38 are moved to their separated positicnby the inclined groove 90. and are maintained. separated by straight groove 43 during the time that the dipper I4 deposits a fresh orange in the bucket 34 and until the. dipper has been tilted up and the bucket 3 has advanced to the position shown in 2, whereupon the. cycle .of operations is repeated until interrupted by the. happening of certain events which will be described later.

In thecycle of:operation, the disc wheel 22 is at rest-withithe receiving cup 3 in line with the fruit holding cups 35, 36 only long enough for them to be extended and grasp disc wheel 22 then revolves to pass the knife 2| through the fruit before the cups 35, 36 begin to retract. When the disc wheel 22 hasmade ahalf revolution, the cups 35, 3B are again extended (more slowly than the first time) forcing the fruit on to thereamer 39. The cups 35, 36 dwell in the extended position long enough to complete the reaming operation and again retract before the disc 22starts to turn again. This latteroperation takes a longer time than the first. As the driving gear-4 and-the Geneva motion driving pins #8, l9 revolve at a constant speed, the unequal timing is accomplished by unequal spacing of the pins l8, '19.

Referring to the development of cam in Fig. l

11, from the start: position, the first rise 44 of the cam 38 extends the cups 35, 3G to grasp the fruit. Thisrise is the highest as the fruit is on the center line of the disc 22. The next drop 86 carries the two out halves back far enough for ther-earner 32 to pass betweenthem, so this path 8? is the lowest. The second rise 88 presses the fruit halves on the reamer 39. The reamer 35 is purposely made high and the rise 85 is lower than before so that there will be some space between the edge of the rind and disc 22, this space allowing the juice to run down. The next drop 96 in thecamis. just'enough to allow the reamer 39 to pass the empty shell but have the extractor 4| following, catch the edge of the fruit shells and strip them out of the cups 35, 3B.

The outside radius of disc 22 has been cut down 1 for about 36. degrees back of the knife edge 2!. as indicatedat ii i. This is sufficient to clear the. roller .26.. on thedipper l iinits lowest position. The dipper I4 is raised by the end II2 of this cut-away portion.

The spring H3, see Fig. 1, on the lever system 58 to 63 is to take up lost motion and keep the roller 42 against the left side of cam 38.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the juice container 93 has a suitable handle 94 so that it can be withdrawn from the machine when it is to be emptied of juice expressed by the machine. The top of container 93 has a flange 95 which rethe fruit. The

i it wherein the feed chute switch movably. rests on a. pair of arms; 96, 91' secured: attheir inner ends to a rock shaft. 98.. Also, so:- cured to. the shaft 98.is-a downwardlyextending arm 99, the movement. ofi which. is limited by suitable stops. 20, I H. The lower end oi arm 991- actuates a switch I JII when the container 93. is loaded with juice. The supporting arms 96, st are maintained in araised position by a spring Hi1" connectedsatxoneend to the frame 9 as indicated at I92; and connected at its other end. to an adjusting bolt' I63'secured to theopcrating arm,99.

After container 93gis removed,,spring IUI' urges thearmslltandzfii upwardly until arm 99 strikes stop me. The inner-endsofathe arms 96 and 91 slope downwardly. as indicated at. I96. in: Fig: 2 so as to facilitate guiding the flange 95;.on': to thearms 9B andB'Izwhen the container 93. is replaced in the machine.

Referring to .Fig. 12, the motor I3 is-connected through the various; circuits shown to a plug I81 to be connectedto a suitable source ofD; C. or A. C. current. The stop switch I08 is in seriesin the line; operated will ofcourse stop the motor E3; The push button switch I09 is a start switch and when operated it energizes relay I24 which completes the circuit to the motor through its contacts E25. When switch I65 is. released relay I24 remainsenergized with its terminal H3; under control of switchesfifl, I2; I00. The dipper switch as shown is. in parallel 2 with a. branch I2. and. the container switch I810; are. connected in series. If" the feedchute is empty, with switchv I2 open, and/or'if container switch I0!) is open due to the container being loaded withjuice, the motor l3 will not stopuntil the dipper'switch ,30 alsois open whichoccurs when the .wheel .22 is empty of cutfruit, the roller.u2d havingdropped offof the point .33, showninFi'g. 2. If the feed dipper it has a fruit in it at the time the container-93 is filled, the dipper I4 with its fruit will dip into the opening 32, but ,themachine willbe stopped by switch "-30 before the fruit is .cut in half'by the blade ill, the preceding fruit having had the juice squeezed from it .andthe rindsejected by the ejector-4I., Hence, the stopping of "the motor I 3 is initiated either by the container 93 beingloaded, to open switch I09, or by feed chute 4 being empty to open switch I2, the stopping of the motor being completed when the dipper, switch 3.1! operates with the Wheel 22 in position with no uncut fruit in it.

Various modifications may be, made in the invention without departing from the spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Afruit juice extractor comprising a base, a fruit holder having companion parts, means supporting said parts for reciprocating movement on apath fixed'with respect to said base, means. for rotating said parts during reciproeating movement thereof on said path, means for reciprocatingsaidparts, with a fruit conveyor,

a cutting blade and a squeeze head mounted on, a common carrier for movement of said fruit conveyor, said cutting blade and said squeeze head across said path.

2. In combination, a cutting machine comprising a wheel having an opening having a cutting blade on the lagging side thereof, a bucket on the leading side thereof, means for depositing in said bucket an article to be cut by said blade, rotatable holders for said article, and means i'or it-is; normally closed, and .when

, in timed relation,

base, companion half fruit 7 advancing said holders to grasp the article and hold it while said bucket is leaving the same and while said blade is advancing into cutting relation with the article thus held.

3. In combination, a cutting machine according to claim 2 wherein said depositing means comprises a dipper having a cam follower actuated by said wheel.

.4. A fruit juice extractor comprising a wheel having a bucket, a cutting blade, a squeeze head, and an ejector thereonjmeans for delivering a fruit to said wheel once each revolution thereof, cooperating reciprocating half fruit holders, a motor and driving connections for rotating said wheel step by step, means for operating said holders to remove the fruit from said bucket and present the fruit to said blade and squeeze head thereafter said ejector being operative to eject the-rind preparatory for another cycle of operation, means for rotating said holders, means for reciprocating said holders in timed relation with rotation of said wheel and during rotation of said holders, and means for insuring that said wheel will stop in position to receive another fruit and with the previous fruit squeezed and ejected, said means comprising means for initiating the stopping of said motor when said delivering means is empty of fruit, and means operating in timed relation with said wheel for completing the stopping of said motor after a squeezed fruit is ejected and before the next whole fruit is delivered.

5. In combination, a conveyor having a wheel having a bucket for a single article to be cut, a knife on said wheel at the lagging side of said bucket, said bucket having open ends, com panion' article holders, means for moving said holders through opposite ends of said bucket to grasp the article in the bucket, and means for moving the bucket away from the article thus held to thereby bring said knife into cutting relation with the article thus held in said holders.

6. A fruit handling apparatus comprising a holders each shallower than a half fruit, means for rotating said holders, means supporting said holders for reciprocation and for rotation on an axis fixed with respect to said base, a squeeze head movable to and from a position between said holders, and a rind removing abutment for engaging the rim portion of the fruit halves projecting beyond their said holders, said abutment being movable adjacent said holders while said rotating means is operating for ejecting the rinds therefrom.

7. A fruit juice extractor comprising a movable support having thereon a fruit container, means for cutting said fruit, means for'squeezing said fruit and means for ejecting the rind of said fruit, means for delivering a fruit to said container once during each cycle of operation thereof, cooperating reciprocating half fruit holders adapted to advance and grasp the fruit in said container and while said container is moving away and while said cutter is advancing, said holders being movable apart thereafter to admit said squeeze head between the fruit halves and r in timed relation with after operation thereof holding the rind in the path of said ejector, a motor for operating said support step by step with said support stationary during operation of said fruit holders to grasp the fruit and also stationary while said fruit holders are advancing the fruit halves onto said squeeze head, and means for insuring that said support will stop in position for said container to receive another fruit when the previous fruit issqueezed and ejected, said last mentioned means comprising means for initiating the stopping of said motor when said delivering means is empty of fruit, and means operating pleting the stopping of said motor after a squeezed fruit is ejected and before the next whole fruit is delivered to said container.

8. A fruit juice extractor according to claim 7 wherein said support comprises a rotatable Wheel.

9. A fruit juice extractor comprising companion half fruit holders, means supporting said holders for spreading apart and squeezing movements, a wheel, a knife and a squeeze head mounted on said wheel, means for operating said wheel to move said knife into position across the space between said holders at certain times and for moving said squeeze head into position between said holders and for arresting movement of said squeeze head at other times during squeezing operation of said fruit holders, and

means for rotating said holders during cutting operation of said knife and during squeezing movement of said holders toward said squeeze head.

10. In combination, a conveyor having a wheel having a bucket for a single article to be cut, a knife on said wheel at .the lagging side of said bucket, said bucket having open ends, companion article holders, means for moving said holders through opposite ends of said bucket to grasp the article in the bucket, means for rotating said wheel to'move the bucket away from the article thus held to thereby bring said knife into cutting relation with the article thus held in said holders, and means for rotating said The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,289,553 Simon ec. 31, 1913 1,361,121 Weiss Dec. 7, 1920 1,834,097 Gum Dec. 1, 1931 1,957,883 Grayson May 8, 1934' 2,067,555 Walker Jan. 12, 1937 2,313,318 Brown Mar. 9, 1943 2,336,675 Erickson Dec. 14, 1943 2,333,148 Walker Jan. 4, 1944 2,365,832 Monroe Dec. 26, 1944 2,404,990 Silva July 30, 1946 said support for 00mg 

